Posts in COUPLES COUNSELLING
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples navigating ADHD: One therapist’s perspective

When I started to explore offering couples therapy it became important to me that the approach I use be affirming and that it would help me honour brain differences not rail against them. I was skeptical of modalities that asked partners to learn communication techniques or relied heavily on conforming to a certain version of what a relationship should look like.

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Communicating About Finances as a Couple

Many couples attempt to communicate about money but find themselves in familiar, unhelpful patterns each time they try. Instead of giving up hope and sweeping these conversations under the rug, it can be really helpful to understand what’s going on under the surface.

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Thinking about divorce? Let’s look at 5 ways you can make sense of these thoughts.

Thinking about divorce?

As a couples therapist, I have worked with many couples where divorce is “on the table”. Usually one or both partners have found themselves thinking about divorce for some time and these thoughts can be the reason for seeking couples therapy. For some, the damage to the relationship is so extensive that divorce may be the best resolution. However, for many more couples, there are ways to navigate the conflict, the unhappiness or the disengagement that allows for the relationship to stay intact. Take a look below for 5 ways that you can make sense of your current relationship difficulties.

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Should I start therapy during the summer?

Most people who work with a therapist initiate contact when they are going through hard things.

When life gets tough, it makes sense that people seek additional support. Working with a therapist during life’s hard times can help people navigate stress, crisis, illness, major life transitions, etc. But most therapists know that the true healing work takes place once things have stabilized in the client’s life.

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Intimacy in Parenthood - Sex After Baby

Exhaustion, body changes, pregnancy fears, interruptions from baby, and feeling touched out could all serve to activate the inhibitory sexual response system that just says “No way, I can’t get there right now.”

This is especially true when babies are very small or are high-needs and they require so much from their primary caregivers.

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Sexual Brakes and Accelerators

We’d like to introduce you to the concept of sexual brakes and accelerators. We were introduced to this concept in Emily Nagoski’s incredible book Come As You Are (which we highly recommend). The concept is very simple – there are things that act as accelerators of our desire and other things that act as brakes. The “things” can be sights, sounds, ideas, memories, sensations, etc. Most people have a general sense that there are certain things that turn them on sexually and others that turn them off. But rarely do we stop to deeply consider how we can use the concepts of sexual brakes and accelerators to enhance our sexual experiences.

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Let's Get Real About Money: The Impact of Money On Your Relationship

Recently, Registered Psychotherapist and founder of everwell Counselling Carly Fleming, was interviewed by The Toronto Star for a feature on ‘The Kit’, (a lifestyle news source for Canadians) about finances and the impact it can have on relationships. Specifically, the interview centred on the types of issues and possible solutions a couples counsellor can offer for those struggling with ongoing arguments about money. Here’s what Carly had to say…

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Let's Get Real About Kids: The Impact of Kids On Your Relationship

More than a few parents joke that they fall third or forth in the partner’s priorities, after the kids and the dog. But for many partners, it’s not really a joke. Many assume that’s the way it should be- being a good parent means putting the kids’ needs first because that’s what it takes. But we’re here to tell you there’s strong evidence that proves otherwise.

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The Gottman Method Approach to Couples Counselling

We’re talking to Monica Donsanjh, a Registered Social Worker, here at everwell who has Level 1, 2 and 3 Gottman Method Training about what the Gottman Method is and how it can benefit couples in counselling.

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Let's Get Real About Fights: Managing Conflict in your Relationship

Did you know that 69% of problems in a relationship are unsolvable? Trying to solve unsolvable problems is counter-productive. Instead, couples must learn to manage conflict rather than avoid or attempt to eliminate it. Here are three ‘blueprints’ for managing conflict in your relationship.

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Let's Get Real About Relationships: Q&A with a Couples Therapist

The reality is committed relationships don’t happen overnight. Healthy relationships take much time and care to protect. We’re talking to Mikaela Gossmann-Bond, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), here at everwell about couples ‘getting real’ about their relationship.

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Let's Get Real About Sex: What is Healthy Sexuality in a Relationship?

We’ve been told about the ‘birds and the bees’, but have we ever been told what a healthy sexual relationship should be? What it shouldn’t be? Here are 12 characteristics of sex that identify what a sexually healthy can be. How do you feel in your relationship?

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Does Couples Counselling Work?

“Does Couples Counselling Work?” This is the question that I get asked most frequently by couples attending counselling for the first time. As you can imagine, it’s a hard question to answer. There are several factors that contribute to the success of couples counselling (or marriage counselling if that describes your relationship). 

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